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Comments
..Mike
PS - Hmm, I hope this isn't going to be a cruel April Fool's joke.
The following appeared in a pop-up that appears after a somewhat lengthy period.
--
AutoZine is coming back!
Dear Car Enthusiasts,
After 3 quarters of rest, I have decided to relaunch AutoZine on 1st April.
During this period, many readers continued asking me to revive AutoZine as it is still the only source for global new cars with high-quality reports since its death in last July. I was quite affected by their words but the biggest obstacle preventing me from committing myself back to the site was still two factors: Time and Motivation.
On the one hand, having achieved all I desired with this site, I don't want to spend as much time and effort to keep running this site without any new target. On the other hand, I did feel a bit lost after quitting the work I committed in the last 3 and a half years. Suddenly found myself cannot remember clearly the details about new cars, not just once but from time to time. If you don't keep moving, you're likely to get behind !
So the new target of reviving AutoZine is: to keep myself in the forefront of the automotive world.
That's the Motivation. Concerning Time, I know I must not spend as much time as before, otherwise one day I'll be exhausted and quit again. To do this, I decided to change AutoZine to monthly basis, perhaps simply called "AutoZine Monthly". Once a month. Update accurately on 1st of each month. Maybe not a good news to you, but you have to accept that.
Besides, I hope I'll write in a more self-entertaining style, so perhaps less educational materials. You know, this is important to keep myself happy rather than suffering while doing it.
In short, the new AutoZine will be more an E-zine for myself than for you guys. However, I hope you'll also enjoy it.
Now it's time for me to chase back the time lost and get my new cars archive updated. See you next month.
Best Regards,
Mark Wan
..Mike
-mike
Ross
-mike
College co-ed rock
Ross
-Colin
FORMULA 1 RETURNS !!
Here is the Speedvision schedule for this weekend(ET):
Fri, Mar 2 9:00 am Formula 1 Qualifying Australian Grand Pix LIVE
Sat, Mar 3 9:00 am Formula 1 Preview
9:30 pm Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix LIVE
I have 2 words for everyone........................
FORZA FERRARI !!
..Mike
..Mike
or check:
http://www.speedvision.com/pub/articles/racing/01formula1.html
after the race
Hmm, no WRX 2 door, gap in the line up. STi versions possible, so the engine will be EPA ready.
Sounds like SVX time to me!
-juice
Although I miss my Forester, I am begining to like this vehicle. For one, I was able to get rid of most of the squealing tires by checking air pressure. They were way down at 26psi cold -- no wonder! Filling them up to 32psi helped fix the problem and firm up the ride. Corners feel a lot more soild now.
The definte plusses are the nicely appointed interior and hushed ride. It makes my Forester seem very raw in comparison.
The minuses would be the power and spongy brake feel. My Forester's brakes are definetly feel more solid and linear. Also, I hear that steering clunk some Legacy owners mention.
I had some time today and visited a nearby dealer. They had quite a few VDC and LL Bean wagons on their lot. I began talking to the manager there and he offered me a test drive on the VDC wagon.
Now that I had been driving the H4 mated to a 4EAT for some time, I appreciated the H6s torque. Again, 0-60 doesn't seem to be it's strongpoint but rather smooth mid-range power. Compared to the OB Ltd., the VDC defintely had much firmer brake feel and a firmer ride. I wasn't able to feel the difference with the 45:55 split, however.
One interesting thing I noticed this time was that the H6 intake goes back to the old 98-99 design by routing the air into the fender and then back out into a filter box.
Ken
-juice
PS Don't forget the chat tonight - about 4 hours from now. I'd especially like to invite any new owners or those shopping for a Subaru who might want some quick feedback from 4-5 experienced regulars that tend to show up
By the way, my sailing club organizes a regatta on the lake during the Grand Prix. See if you can see any Mirror Dinghys out there (they have two bright red sails). Maybe next year, we'll get out there too!
The new WRX is getting very popular here. Apparently it is much easier to drive at the limit than the old car.
Tomorrow's trip is over the mountains to drop my oldest at a camp and then across the range to my parents place. Fabulous roads for the Outback.
Cheers
Graham
I'll be back next Sunday. It appears we are going to have a nice snowfall on Tuesday or Wednesday so, while everyone is out skiing and having a good time, I'm determined to find some off the beaten route to put the VDC through some test.
Be safe everyone and have a wonderful week!
Patti
Ken,
You mentioned in kens Mar 1, 2001 2:06pm that you couldn't discern the difference between the 55:45 AWD front:rear split on the VDC auto vs. the 90:10 split on the Outback sedan auto. What about the launch difference between your 98 Forester 5MT 50:50 split and the 90:10 4EAT split on the Outback?
I ask because I can feel a big difference between launch of my FWD Civic and my wife's AWD GT on dry pavement (Costco fuel/staples run yesterday so it's fresh in my mind). Ignore the difference in horsepower, I'm talking about the feel of FWD vs. AWD on a launch. Mind you, I don't make jack rabbit starts, I just accelerate "normally" (usally). I can feel the difference even on clean, dry tarmac. This time of year (winter) the tarmac is covered with sand dispersed by road crews from the last "snow" and obviously I can feel the difference on slippery sand-covered tarmac but I can also feel the difference on clean, dry tarmac.
What are the thoughts of you and others that have driven manual and auto Subarus about the different "feel" of a 50:50 MT launch vs. a 90:10 AT launch (not raw acceleration times)? I hope that was clear to somebody.
..Mike
..Mike
-mike
My wife's car is a Saturn SL sedan (fwd). It's lighter and has smaller tires. It feels quick accelerating - especially since it's a 5 speed.
Our automatic OB wagon definately feels heavier. I'm sure it launchs at least a quick as the Saturn, but you get a totally different feel altogether. Bigger tires, heavier package, better road feel, tighter suspension. Cornering is a blast in the OB!
I thought the auto Subes had 50:50 split in 1st and 2nd gear? Or is that only when you manually select 1 or 2 on the gear shift. So, if that's true, the only difference between the auto and the manual is the actually gear ratios. I'd say the manual would have that advantage heads down (or is it hands up?).
-Brian
-mike
Dennis
What I like about TH is that it looks like the Forester's big brother...
The big problem, for me, is the the cost. For almost the same money, you could get an Acura MDX. I would much prefer the Acura. I'm also not wild about the Highlander's styling.
BTW, in Japan, the Highlander is called the Kluger V, and sports a Grand Cherokee rip-off grille.
Bob
-juice
OT, sorry, but I'm picking up the "mistress" from the body shop today. Any particulars to look for?
-juice
Bob
That means my web page is history! I think I'll just put the photos in PhotoPoint instead. What stinks is that there are hundreds! It'll take me forever!
I'm peeved at these dot coms. Our "free" ISP is also going out of business and I've had endless problems with them, too.
Sorry, just venting. :-<
-juice
Ross
Still, I gave their pop-up ads plenty of free advertising. At several points I was getting 700 hits per week!
-juice
The verdict is still out on what the torque split on 4EAT is when you accelerate normally from a standstill. I believe, based on anecdotal reports, that if you give enough throttle, 4EAT will start the power split at 50:50 regardless of what your gear selector is in. I attribute this to be the biggest cause for why I couldn't feel a huge difference in how the two vehicles (VDC vs. OB sedan) accelerated.
How is it compared to my 5-speed Forester? I've driven 4EAT Foresters too and again, based on my amateur experience, it's difficult to tell the difference when starting from a stop. Both seem to pull away from rain-slicked intersections without any wheelspin. Again, it might be that 4EAT goes to a 50:50 split under certain conditions.
Where I have noticed the difference is probably during corners. I wasn't able to take the VDC wagon or 4EAT Forester through it's paces so I only have the OB Ltd. Sedan vs. 5-speed Forester to compare. Although body geometery should favor the OB sedan, I can honestly say that in sharp turns, my Forester "felt" like it was understeering less. There is more pronounced body roll, however. My guess is that maybe the power split differences in non-accelerating situations (90:10 vs. 50:50) had something to do with it. I should also point out that my Forester does have a bigger-than-stock rear sway bar while the OB sedan was completely stock.
Having said all that, I do agree that AWD cars (4EAT, 5MT and VDC) do feel different from FWD vehicles.
Ken
-mike
If I change my mind, I'll let you know.
-juice
Cheers Pat.
And we thought Soobs had thin paint!
-juice
Has anyone had any luck with tracking down the origin of this smell. i love this car and am worried that i am causing some kind of damage that i don't know about.
BTW, our OB wagon 5sp is amazing in the snow!!
Check the oil level to make sure you're not leaking any oil. It could be as simple as the tech from the last oil change doing a sloppy job.
If it happens more in rain or snow, my guess is it's something on the exhaust, since the engine cover on the OB protects most of the engine.
You can switch to recirc for a temporary fix.
-juice
Still would like to see a wider (and taller) chat window - like the old one!
-Brian
-mike
At lunch, a friend suggested the difference in FWD/AWD launch feel was self-justification for the AWD GT, much like the audiophile (I'm an aspring one) that replaces component after component, convinced that each (more expensive) compononent sounds better than the last. I guess a blind A/B test is in order. Hmm, guess I'd have to be the passenger.
..Mike
..Mike
And as for you Seattleites, glad you're OK.. my wife was in church for Ash Wednesday services when it rattled the light fixtures over here... got a few folks attention!
Cheers!
Paul
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
Ross
Sorry.. I couldn't resist!
The Costco gas here is a dime cheaper, but a ways away from the homestead. Unfortunately, it's not what you'd call a "fun" drive, but it's probably worth topping off if I'm in the neighborhood.
Cheers!
Paul
Tomorrow we're supposed to get 10" - 20" of snow.
Yeah! Life is good.
Bob
We were in St Pete Beach for the Christmas holidays. The temp ranged from around 70° - 30°.
Bob
°°°°°°°°
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
-Brian
Bob
If in "1" or "2" it definitely is a different split than in "D" which lends credibility to the 50/50 split if in "1" or "2" I can usually spin the fronts in D, but not in "1" or "2"
-mike